Jonah Hex. Now here’s a film that seemed to light a fire under fans of the long-running comic series. For the record, I have not read any of the series, my only familiarity with the disfigured outlaw is what I’ve seen on the comic book covers and the fervor overheard from those who hold Mr. Hex close to their hearts. With that in mind, I can’t compare the film to the source material, and a the end of the day nor should I. A film is its own and should stand, or fall, based on what it is.
So. What is Jonah Hex?
I will say this: it’s interesting. It’s not a good film by any means, but it also isn’t as horribly unwatchable as most have painted it to be. There are some redeeming elements and also some very detrimental elements, both of which I’ll get to. The film opens with the most compressed origin story of any comic book movie; confederate soldier Hex (Josh Brolin) betrays Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), his commanding officer, resulting in Turnbull burning down Hex’s house – with his wife and child inside – and branding his face, giving him that oh-so-un-leading-man-ish facial scar. From then we leap right into a brief animated intro, and we’re off to the races with Hex – now much more haggard and surly – trying to stop Turnbull from unleashing a horrific army while clearing his own not-so-savory record.
I like Josh Brolin a lot, and he’s probably the best person to touch the role of Jonah. There’s just something off in this flick. I like how his scar was achieved with practical makeup effects, but it does limit his performance. I can see that he’s delivering his lines well, he’s acting, sure, but the damn scar just makes his delivery look goofy most of the time. Across the board however, the performances – especially from Megan Fox – are close to that of a well done local theatre group. I blame a fair amount of this on poor dialogue. The script is just too typical of a period piece, with the cast not really nailing the nuance of the language. Brolin and Malkovich fit right in comfortable, but several stars, like Arrested Development’s Will Arnet and the aforementioned Fox, stick out like a very sore thumb.
Director Jimmy Hayward tries to do some interesting things in this film, and I’ll give him credit for making this hyper-post-civil-war-reality atmospheric.. kinda. The production ultimately feels cheap. There’s just too much conflicting style at work, and the film feels unguided because of it. It’s pretty clear that the real bad guy in the film isn’t Turnbull, but the screenplay from Crank masterminds Neveldine & Taylor. It’s just all over the place, paced erratically and insincere at every turn.
If you were looking for something to praise the film for, the costume and set design is quite good, lending some authenticity and aesthetic to an otherwise superfluous mashup of genres. And Mastodon’s soundtrack – though entirely unfitting, underused and watered down by Marco Beltrami – is worth listening to.
At the end of the day, Jonah Hex is an unremarkable-yet-on-par entry to the comic book film genre as seen five years ago. It’s the perfect companion to such grey-stained big-screen translations of Daredevil, Ghost Rider and Fantastic Four. The real crime here is that there was so much potential for a truly unique film, one that incorporated elements of action and sci-fi within a western.
Finally we can relive the Grindhouse experience at home instead of popping in two separate DVDs without the intermission sequences and fake trailers.
The two-disc set will hit shelves on October 5th, in its full entirety and packed with special features. Here’s the breakdown on the discs and box art:
Disc 1 – The Full Grindhouse Experience:
Planet Terror
Intermission Cards
Don’t Trailer
Werewolf Women of the S.S Trailer
Thanksgiving Trailer Death Proof
Disc 2 – Special Features
Planet Terror Special Features
Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Film School
The Badass Babes of Planet Terror
The Guys of Planet Terror
Casting Rebel
Sickos, Bullets, And Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror
The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent
Planet Terror Poster Gallery
Death Proof Special Features
Stunts On Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
The Guys of Death Proof
Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
Finding Quentin’s Gals
The Uncut Version of “Baby, It’s You” performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Introducing Zoe Bell
Double Dare Trailer
Death Proof Extended Music
Death Proof Poster Gallery
Blu-Ray Exclusive Features:
Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Cooking School
The Makeup Effects of Planet Terror
The Hot Rods of Death Proof
From Texas to Tennessee: The Production Design of Death Proof
Trailers
Extended Werewolf Women of The SS Trailer
View Extended Cut Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer with Commentary by Director Rob Zombie
The Making Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer
Extended Don’t Trailer
View Extended Cut Of Don’t Trailer with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
The Making of Don’t Trailer
Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison
View Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
Don’t Storyboards Still Gallery
Don’t Poster
The Making of Thanksgiving Trailer
New York Times Talk with Quention Tarantino and Lynn Hirschberg at Comic Con 2006 Featuring the Directors and Cast of Grindhouse
Grindhouse Trailer Contest Winner Hobo With A Shotgun
I’m not really a born comic geek. I’m a TV girl, and my love of comics started with DC Animation, namely, Batman The Animated Series. I can remember being so enthralled in the art and the drama of this cartoon, and I fell in love with Batman solely based on this series. When I’m reading comics, it’s Kevin Conroy who voices Bruce Wayne in my head.
Due to this, I am always genuinely excited to pick up any new DC animated films. They are just pure fun. The delicious Batman: Under the Red Hood Blu-Ray came in the mail today, and there were squeals of delight. I had to grab this one on pre-order because Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles is voicing Red Hood. He’s got a great sexy raspy voice, and that always makes for a good time.
Whenever I bring up these movies, people always squirm at the voice actors. Batman is different in everyone’s head and it is jarring to hear him in any other voice. I will admit that this is bothersome for about the first 10 minutes, and then you sink into the action, and it isn’t so bad.
Bruce Greenwood voices Bats, who will always be Nowhere Man to me, and does a decent job. Neil Patrick Harris was actually a really good and whiny Nightwing, but I question whether his range could have been better used by playing Joker. Joker was played by John Dimaggio, and there were definitely a few Bender the Robot moments that I couldn’t block out.
Story-wise, well this one has been done in the comics, so it wasn’t anything new for me. Red Hood comes to town, deciding to control crime for the forces of good, instead of wiping it out. Everyone wonders who Red Hood is. Big mystery. Bats figures out who it is. Drama Drama. Stand-off with the Joker. The end.
I will admit that I was only half paying attention for the first hour. The ending, however, captured my full attention and was very touching, hitting on the Batman family relationship dynamics quite nicely. I like the gooey relationship stuff, what can I say?
Joker comes out with no great puns, but a very telling line aimed at Bats : “You manage to find a way to win and everybody still loses.” As much as I hate the campy Batman, the ending makes me weep for the happy-go-lucky Robins that are most likely a thing of the past.
The Blu-Ray features a digital copy, several cool DC Universe trailers, and as I write, I’m enjoying the included four episodes of 90s era Batman animation hand-picked by Bruce Timm. I think if you buy the two-disc special edition DVD, it will have the most of the same features.
Batman: Under the Red Hood is pretty much in line with all the other recently released DC animation, and if you liked them, definitely pick this one up too.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is the next release from DC, coming out late September, featuring Summer Glau.
If this happens then I will be one happy boy, as Grindhouse was one of my favorite movie theater memories in recent years…
Edgar Wright, director for the faux-trailer Don’t, which appeared during Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s double feature Grindhouse, tweeted this today:
So, get this, tomorrow I am doing a commentary on ‘Don’t’. Some of you will know what that means is finally happening.
That seems pretty cut and dry that there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing a proper DVD/Blu-Ray release for Grindhouse. So far, all us fans got were individual releases for the features, Death Proof and Planet Terror, with none of the fake trailers. Though the two films are enjoyable on their own, it was nothing compared to the full experience.
In case you didn’t see it, Japan did get a full Grindhouse release with some incredible packaging. I want that. Just give me that and I’ll be happy. Hopefully we’ll get confirmation on this soon.
Director: Tomas Alfredson Writer: John Ajvide Lindqvist Released: October 24, 2008 Gross: $10,562,447
I love discovering gems. Accidentally finding something that makes me remember what it is to be in love with cinema. “Let The Right One In” falls so deeply and strangely in that category. This film moved me profoundly on so many levels of ‘cinephile’ that I’m still engrossed by the film this next morning as I write it’s review.
Classification of this 2008 Norwegian multiple award-winning film is difficult. It’s labelled as Horror, it IS about a vampire…a 12 year old vampire. But there are elements of a love story, coming-of-age drama and film-noir…it’s impossible to look at this as simply a Horror film.
12 year old Oskar lives with his divorced mother, often visits his young-at-heart father who offers no direction and is bullied relentlessly at school, especially by his nemesis Conny. Oskar dreams of revenge, playing out scenarios in his apartments back courtyard, regularly attacking a tree with his pocket-knife, uttering the threats he wish he could say to his tormentors. Oskar soon notices young Eli move into the apartment next to his with her father. The first thing they do is cover the windows with cardboard. We quickly learn that this is not Eli’s father, but her renfield, a man that collects blood for her, as she is vampire. Eli and Oskar begin to forge a tenuous relationship that grows deeper as the story progresses. Eli teaches Oskar to stand up for himself, Oskar teaches Eli friendship. Oskar eventually learns of Eli’s fate, taking us down a road both horrific and beautiful, as both characters struggle to find their place in the world and each others lives.
We are treated to two bravura performances by young Norwegian actors Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson (Oskar and Eli respectively), who manage to tackle the ideals behind loneliness, isolation, confusion, frustration and terror better than any actor that the Twilight series (or many of the films that fall in LTROI’s category) can throw at you. This film screams contrast, one minute you’re reeling at the viciousness that this young vampire can deal out on her victims and the next be struck by the tenderness tendered between these two characters even standing in the carnage of her crimes. It is quite simply an unequalled parallel in story-telling.
This is a stark and cold film. Set in winter. Bland greys. Very little color. And that’s the way it should be. Oskar and Eli are both trapped in their own darkness, for very different reasons. This dark veil is never lifted during the film. There’s no sense of real closure, no absolution for either character. We start this journey with them, and when we come to the films conclusion, we are as absorbed in their lives as they, but just as they don’t know where their road is leading, we don’t either. We leave them as unsure as they are.
The brutality of this film hit at my core, because it is so real. The bullying is real. It’s not over-the-top, it’s what bullying is…more mental rule than physical violence. Oskar delves within himself during these times, and I wanted to go to the place he goes then. He doesn’t try to run from his captors, he understands the consequences. He accepts his punishments as any lonely confused child would. Eli on the other hand has to kill. When she loses her renfield her hunger becomes too much to bear, and she does what comes naturally. Cold, somewhat calculated. It unsettles us a viewers to see vampiric violence portrayed this way. And there is no softening of the horror as was Kirsten Dunsts young vampire portrayal in “Interview With The Vampire”, Eli kills gruesomely. The sights and sounds of this twelve year old girl unnerve the audience, but to Eli, this is what she has done for more than 200 years…this is life. Or death.
The relationship between Oskar and Eli is tragic at best. Oskar finds himself slowly coming into his own sexuality, falling in love with Eli. Eli knows that there is no way there can be a relationship between the two, but allows herself to begin to feel for Oskar. When we witness the scene of Eli coming to Oskar’s window (”you have to invite me in”), and crawling into bed with Oskar, we almost forget that this is a turned creature that must kill to live. It’s two young teens, coming to terms with life and emotions that are confusing. Neither has anyone they can talk to about this, they only have each other. I, as well as almost anyone, could relate to what these characters felt in that moment. We’ve all been there at some point in our lives.
That is where “Let The Right One In” works so well. It balances the parallels between horror and coming of age so well, that it could be one of the best movies of either class. It’s story so fully envelopes you within the two characters, that there is no emotional disconnect when the credits role. Leandersson is such an amazing talent in this film, brings such a feeling of both menace and love to this anti-hero, that she steals every scene she is in. When Oskar dares her to enter his house without giving her permission to come in, and she does so, her transformation before our eyes is startling. Very little effect is needed (blood pouring from all orifices) for us to believe that she is in exquisite agony, on the verge of death, so convincing her acting is.
Some may find the subject matter disturbing. The visuals and stark reality of the storytelling distasteful. Those are the people that argue that the Twilight films portray vampires in an accurate light. This film shows the vampire myth in it’s true form. These are flawed tragic characters that must kill. Everyday. Add to that the confusion of youth, the harsh realities of adolescence and the bitter feeling of lose and loneliness, and you get not only one of the best vampire films in decades, you get one of the best foreign films I have seen in years. See this film as soon as you can.
(One word of warning about the DVD release. I have read that the DVD version of the film has incorrect sub-titles, I have yet to find if this has been corrected in a subsequent DVD/Blu-Ray release. There are moments in the film where Oskar and Eli communicate through Morse code and these are not translated on the screen in N. American versions. So, beware that you find the right version, if it’s available yet)
Head on over to Amazon and check out the DVD or Blu-Ray today.
Edge of Darkness Directed by Martin Campbell Starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Houston, Bojana Novakovic and Shawn Roberts Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and for Download 5/11!
After a reasonable hiatus from acting, Mel Gibson returns to the screen in Edge of Darkness. I missed this little crime-mystery flick back when it was in theatres, so I was quite chuffed when the fine folks at Warner Bros. sent a copy my way to let you all know what the good bird on the movie is.
Edge of Darkness fits right in with the gritty, realistic revenge sub-genre alongside films like Man on Fire and Taken. In the film, Gibson plays Thomas Craven, a real man’s man detective from Boston. When his daughter is murdered in front of him, it’s assumed that he was the target and she was in in the way – but as any thriller dictates, that is far from the case, and the film takes Craven through twists and turns as he emotionally, and violently, puts the pieces of a grander conspiracy together.
The film is actually based on a BBC mini-series which was directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Green Lantern) who also returns to helm the big-screen adaptation. The film version sees the story moved from England, this time taking place in beautiful Massachusetts. Where the film departs from films such as Taken, is that the story is far more intimate and emotionally driven; the action does not drive the film, though it is a very well-executed part, but the developments of the narrative serve as a slow-burn.
This is no doubt Mel Gibson’s picture, and his performance makes it worth viewing alone. The years off have been good to Gibson, as his portrayal of Tom Craven brings us back to some of his younger roles like in Mad Max and Lethal Weapon, albeit he’s older and completely serious. Gibson is entirely believable as a grieving father and a cop with nothing to lose. It’s almost unfair to refer to Edge of Darkness as a “cop movie”, as everything Craven does, the lengths he goes to obtain solace, is done as a man first and as a father. The film explores the mythos behind vigilante films like Death Wish or archetypes like The Punisher, but with an entirely realistic approach. This isn’t fantasy and it isn’t farfetched, which separates it from films like Taken, which it is, in my opinion unfairly, compared to. Edge of Darkness is heavy and real, and Gibson makes his pain felt. It’s also interesting to see him work with a Bostonian accent, which if done poorly can completely remove me from a film, but I’m happy to report that after being initially jarring, feels totally natural and adds to his character. There’s something about Massachusetts, and it becomes almost its own character in the film. Craven and his environment are one, lending to a more seamless experience than a smokey, city that never sleeps like New York or Chicago, the apparent templates for hard-boiled copper revenge flicks.
Gibson is flanked by two other noteworthy performances from actors Ray Winstone and Danny Huston, who play a mysterious CIA “consultant” and the head of a nuclear research facility, respectfully. Winstone in particular shines with intrigue as the raspy-voiced tough-guy, while Huston is perfect as the almost-over-the-top smarmy rich businessman who’s kind on the outside but you can just feel the malevolence leaking from his pours. The film revolves around Gibson and these two, and together you’ve got a dynamic cast that works well within the close confines of the script.
Director Martin Campbell made huge waves and gained mainstream recognition for revitalizing the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale, his film prior to Edge of Darkness. I was surprised to see such a different style used here, as Casino Royale was so slick and distinct. Darkness is definitely far more subdued that Royale, or even Campbell’s previous efforts with Goldeneye or The Legend of Zorro. This goes to show how broad a director Campbell is and though he has his own signature on his films, he doesn’t rely on his style for every film. He chooses the approach that will best serve the story. Edge of Darkness definitely has that “British feeling” to it with a touch of Michael Mann realism, though far from shaky-cam distracting. I do think the film suffers from pacing issues in the late second act, early third act, as much of the plot development is brought on via dialogue as opposed to literal events. There were moments where I wanted to see Gibson go all out and become physical but he didn’t. Again, I credit this to the film’s respect for realism, and it makes it all the more impactful when those scenes actually happen. The violent-action scenes in the film are indeed quite profound.
Overall Edge of Darkness is a tightly made thriller best served for the more mature audience, while something like Taken is in the same league but for a more younger audience with a shorter attention span. Darkness manages to embrace so many interesting elements, action, crime, mystery and conspiracy, and it balances them all nicely. The film even works as a performance piece alone, and a welcome reminder that Mel Gibson still has it.
Do check out the film, which is available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand or Download this upcoming Tuesday, May 11th. I gotta add that the Blu-Ray looks spectacular, the beautiful landscapes of Massachusetts are breathtaking in 1080p.
You read that right, Tarantino’s latest opus, the hard-hitting, nazi-killing romp Inglourious Basterds, is indeed hitting DVD and Blu-Ray before year’s end.
Why so early you ask? Who the fuck cares, that’s awesome! But if you must know, the Weinstein company sent out plenty of screeners of the film to critics in order to fuel the Oscar buzz, so releasing the film to the market on home video will accommodate that and fuel the award-fire even more. I can get behind this, as I’m jonesin’ to watch this flick in glourious 1080p over and over and show it to all those chumps who missed out in the theater.
Inglourious Basterds will be available this December 15th on one-disc, two-disc and Blu-Ray versions with a bunch of extra content including:
Alternate & extended scenes
The complete film-within-the-film Nation’s Pride (directed by the Bear Jew himself, Eli Roth)
Domestic & international trailers
The two-disc, extra-special, Blu-Ray will include all of the above plus:
A roundtable conversation with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and film historian Elvis Mitchell
A making-of for Nation’s Pride
The Original Bastards – A retrospective of the original film from 1978
Gag Reel
Film poster tour with Elvis Mitchell
Digital Copy of the film
and a bunch more…
No word on any future re-releases of Basterds, but it’s probably safe to assume that there won’t be a double-dip on this for quite some time. We’re still waiting on Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair and the full theatrical cut of Grindhouse, so you’re gonna want to pick this up or you’ll no doubt be waiting indefinitely.
Ahoy, consumers. It’s Tuesday so you know what that means – new release day. This week is kind of all over the place, but there’s one big release, featuring a certain emerald-clad guardian, that I’m looking forward to and will review soon.
Here’s the notable releases for Tuesday, July 28th, and remember, any purchases made via Amazon through the links on this page will save a person’s life. Or at least line my pockets and give me more drive to keep the content coming… you cheap bastards.
- The aptly-titled fourth film in the highly-successful brought back the original cast for another testosterone-filled, two hour rap music video in which Paul Walker talks in a voice that’s actually lower than his natural speaking tone. If you like suped-up cars and ridiculous cliches then you’ll love this one.
- The wildly successful reimagining of Battlestar Galactica gets the full-series treatment on Blu-Ray. This 25 disc set will put you back at least $200 and features every season of the show, the original mini-series and the Razor feature. All that in a super cool Cylon package.
- Yes, some folks made a Dragonball movie. Yes, apparently it licks donkey dink. No, I won’t be buying it. No, you probably shouldn’t. Save your money for a full-print button-up Dragonball shirt.
- Now this is the title of the week, DC’s new full-length feature telling the origin of Green Lantern Hal Jordan. DC is on a roll with these animated films, I tell ya. Reviews so far have been really positive for this particular title, and I myself can’t wait to pop the Blu-Ray in.
Come back next week, same bat time, for the scoop on the new releases.
We all have those fond childhood memories – trick or treating at Halloween, first kisses, getting that really cool toy. I think I speak for just about everyone when I say the one thing we all remember the most are our childhood cartoons. I grew up in the 80’s with shows like SilverHawks and He-Man. I was always, always a He-Man fan. Never missed it. Now though when you look back you see these shows for what they really were, and usually they were not as good as you remember them.
The wait is almost over for Zach Snyder’s incredible film adaptation of Watchmen to hit DVD and Blu-Ray. The film will be released to retailers this July 21st and this one is a must-own for fans, Blu-Ray-philes and Watchmen fiends alike. As with most comic-book-super-fan-summer films, this movie will no doubt see an endless amount of releases and re-releases each with the most superficial of differences. But to us mega-fans, does it really even matter.
The film will initially be released in a two-disc Director’s Cut – a theatrical version is available on DVD only – with a third, coaster-worthy digital copy disc. This Director’s Cut has a run-time of over 3 hours; that’s approximately 30 mins of more footage than was shown in the theatrical version. Full details on what these scenes will include are still pretty unknown with the exception being the well-known-filmed on-screen death of the original Nite Owl, Hollis Mason.
Full Disc Specs:
Disc 1 (BD-50):
Director’s cut of the film (186 minutes)
Interactive “Ultimate Watchmen Experience”
BD-Live
Disc 2 (BD-25):
The Phenomenon: The Comic that Changed Comics (30 min.)
Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes (27 min.)
Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World (27 min.)
Webisodes (38 min.)
Music Video: My Chemical Romance Desolation Row (3 min.)
Disc 3 (DVD):
Digital Copy – Theatrical version
If you’re more of a collector, there are some special-er editions of this release. Blu-Ray owners can pick up Amazon.com’s exclusive Nite Owl Ship collector’s set which features the three Director’s Cut discs hidden inside a pretty cool looking statuette of Nite Owl’s ship, Archie. Apparently this beaut has lights and sounds. Again, it’s only exclusive to those shopping online at Amazon.com, and has a fairly hefty price tag of $79.99.
My local Best Buy is also advertising this hideous Rorschach mask packaging for both DVD and Blu-Ray,while HMV UK is offering a similar package with the lifeless face of Dr. Manhattan. Creepy.
Zach Snyder has also been dropping hints for a “Black Freighter” cut of the film, essentially the Director’s Cut with the previously released animated story-within-a-story, The Black Freighter, cut into the film throughout the full run-time. This edition, which really only has appeal to hardcore fans, would run approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. No release date or further details have been released.
I know I will be having one hell of a Watchmen party on July 21st, and you’re all welcome to come over and enjoy Watchmen on Blu-Ray in all it’s glory.
Ahoy sea men and women, welcome to this week’s DVD FIX, your source for what’s new in DVD/Blu-Ray land.
To say this week’s releases are weak is an understatement. Here’s the major titles hitting retail and rental shelves this week – and hey, if you buy any of these items through the Amazon.com links in this here post, you’re helping Giant Killer Squid save up for that shiny new bike we’ve been wanting. So thanks.
NEW RELEASES FOR JUNE 30th
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li Smallville’s Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) stars in this unfathomable movie based on the super successful arcade/console video game. Kreuk plays the deadly Chun Li, who must resist the evil forces of Father’s telling their kids to “play that game on mute”. I can’t believe someone made another Street Fighter movie.
12 Rounds (Rated + Unrated) WWE superstar John Cena comes to home video in his second “major” starring role. I’m sure this film is just “great”.
Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season
I myself haven’t seen any of this little show, but it stars Danny McBride who just so happens to steal every movie he’s in. Featuring creative talent from Will Ferrel, Jody Hill and Adam McKay, how can you go wrong? Bonus: If you haven’t yet seen The Foot Fist Way also starring Danny McBride, you are missing out.
That’s really all I even want to mention this week. Next week ain’t much better we’ll see new releases featuring Nic Cage, some wannabe superheroes, and a frightening fetus?
Finally, good news for fans of the X-Men animated series from the 90’s Fox Kids programming – the final two volumes of the show, 3 & 4 respectively, are set for release on September15th. Just like the first two volumes (which are really, really good) each volume features two discs of 15 episodes. I recently watched volumes 1 & 2, and this show is one of the very few that holds up since my childhood, and dare I say, the best comic-book cartoon in terms of faithfulness of tone to the source material.
Holy blast from the past, we finally have the 90’s Fox X-Men animated series on DVD!
This news is great for fans of the much loved series; a proper DVD release of this show has been on the top of fanboy wish list for nearly a decade.
Well Buena Vista Home Entertainment answered the call, and this week Volumes 1 & 2 (out of 4) were released to the eager hands of mutant fans.
Each volume contains 2 discs, with 16 episodes – that’s 32 episodes of one of the greatest comic book cartoon adaptations ever. One of? Try ‘it is’. Here’s the episode guide for Volumes 1 & 2:
VOLUME 1
Disc 1
Night of the Sentinels (Part 1)
Night of the Sentinels (Part 2)
Enter Magneto
Deadly Reunions
Captive Hearts
Cold Vengeance
Slave Island
The Unstoppable Juggernaut
Disc 2
The Cure
Come The Apocalypse
Days Of Future Past (Part 1)
Days Of Future Past (Part 2)
The Final Decision
Till Death Do Us Part (Part 1)
Till Death Do Us Part (Part 2)
Whatever It Takes
VOLUME 2
Disc 1
Red Dawn
Repo Man
X-Ternally Yours
Time Fugitives (Part 1)
Time Fugitives (Part 2)
A Rogue’s Tale
Beauty & The Beast
Mojo Vision
Disc 2
Reunion (Part 1)
Reunion (Part 2)
Out of the Past (Part 1)
Out of the Past (Part 2)
The Phoenix Saga (Part 1): Sacrifice
The Phoenix Saga (Part 2): The Dark Shroud
The Phoenix Saga (Part 3): Cry of the Banshee
The Phoenix Saga (Part 4): The Starjammers
The Phoenix Saga (Part 5): Child of Light
At this moment I’m sure of any special features, if there are any. Each volume retails for around $18 – or you can pick up both volumes together over at Amazon for a mere $30.
No release date has been set for the concluding 3rd and 4th volumes of the series, but one could assume it will be sometime this year.
Now if they’d only get on the 90’s Spider-Man series…
Hey Kids, Ryan here taking over From the Vault this week. For this edition, I thought I’d showcase a film I recently watched with one of my all-time favorites; both fantastic additions to any home video collection. So without further ado, here’s this week’s double-feature.
Oldboy
2003 Directed by: Chan-wook Park Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang
Where do I begin how amazing this flick is? Hands down my favorite film to come out of South Korea, if not all of Asia period; a wonderfully executed and brilliant display of technical film-making, acting and master storytelling.
Oldboy tells the story of Oh Dae-su, an average middle-aged businessman who is imprisoned with no reason or explanation for 15 years, with literally no human interaction. One day, Oh Dae-su is released back into the world where he is faced with an even bigger mind-game: does he try to unravel the mystery of his imprisonment, or quench his thirst for revenge?
From the opening frame to the emotional ending, I found myself magnetized to the screen and on the edge of my seat. Director Chan-wook Park created a beautifully haunting thriller that keeps you in the front row of this emotional roller-coaster. We’re taken right beside Oh Dae-su throughout his struggle, feeling every bit of hurt and despair as he tries to put the pieces together. The film is meticulously shot and scored, and Min-sik Choi’s performance is nothing shy of phenomenal. Oldboy features some fairly graphic violence, I wouldn’t say in excess, but the major fight sequence is something to mark in the history books as one of the greatest of all times.
As for the “twist ending”… well… if M. Night Shyamalan had any sense in his brain he’d watch this flick and realize he can’t write a script to save his life and finally quit. Oldboy sets the bar for the genre and shows just how shockingly often these films really do fail.
If you’re a fan of revenge/thriller/mind-fuck type films, you must add Oldboy to the top of your list.
Special Features:
Director & Cinematographer Commentaries
Interview with the Director
Deleted scenes with optional commentary
Trailer
Dawn of the Dead: Ultimate Edition
1978 Directed by: George A. Romero Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross
I can honestly say that not only is Dawn of the Dead my favorite film of all time, I also consider it to be not only one of the most important films in the horror genre, but one of the most important social commentaries of all time. If there’s one drawback to being a zombie film in the 70’s, its that the film is typically written off as a cheesy gore-fest. Yes there’s a fair amount of cheese and gore, but I presume this merely serves to entertain the dim and the dull unable to look past this layer and see the satire and subtext. Is Dawn of the Dead a zombie film? I say quite the opposite. If anything it’s a human film.
DotD explores what a small group of humans do to survive in the midst of a zombie outbreak, this group in particular seek refuge in a shopping mall. Zombies and survival themes aside, the film serves to examine consumerism, human reaction and self-indulgence. Dawn of the Dead is in some ways playing on a multitude of human fantasies. Imagine living in your own self-contained world, where money is not an issue and everything is at your fingertips. Your only obstacles are the slower-than-molasses walking undead, who for the most part exist as a way to spend your ammunition and spare time.
The film doesn’t waste its opportunity to fully flesh out its story and take the audience through every cycle of emotion. It’s scary. It’s funny. It’s worrisome. And the score, provided by Goblin – the incomparable Italian prog-rock band – is something for the ear to behold.
There’s been a few home video releases for DotD, but this Ultimate Edition is the definitive must own for every fan. This gorgeous little box-set comes with three different versions of the film: the US theatrical version, the Extended version and the European version.
US Theatrical Version:
127 minutes. The original, unrated cut that was released in theater. George A. Romero has referred to this as his preffered version.
Special Features:
Audio commentaries from George A. Romero and special effects legend Tom Savini
Theatrical trailers
TV spots
Radio spots
Poster and advertising gallery
George A. Romero bio
Comic book preview
Extended Version:
139 minutes. Created for the 1978 Cannes Film Festival, this version contains 12 extra minutes of extended scenes and additional gore. This version is often referred to incorrectly as the ‘director’s cut’.
Special Features:
Audio commentary with Producer
Monroeville Mall commercial
Behind-the-scenes photo gallery
Memorabilia gallery
Production stills
European Version:
118 minutes. The European release of the film was re-edited by Italian horror film master Dario Argento, with a shorter run-time. This cut’s main difference is its quickened pace and additional music from Goblin.
Special Features:
Audio commentary with the cast
International trailers
UK televison spots
International lobby card gallery
International poster and advertising gallery
Pressbook gallery
Home video and soundtrack artwork
Dario Argento bio
Bonus Documentaries Disc:
The Dead Will Walk – A 75 minute documentary featuring the cast and crew.
Document of the Dead – The original feature documentary filmed during the making of Dawn of the Dead.
When I heard about them doing this DVD for Watchmen I thought wow, this could be really cool. As a big fan already for the book I thought this was a great idea, but why didn’t they just include it in the movie. As we all found out that it would just be too long, it was a shame because this would have really brought together the story in a different way I think. Maybe even give the movie more of the same feel of the comic book then it already has.
Let’s start first with the animated film Tales of The Black Freighter. I personally really enjoyed it. The animation was great and wasn’t done as just some cheap put together to get this out there. With Gerard Butler doing the voice for the film it definitely brought something to the table. I had read somewhere, and I can’t remember the source, but Gerard Butler really wanted a part in the Watchmen movie, and after working with Zack Snyder on 300, he had asked if he could have one. Well Zack told Gerard that he would see what he could do, but nothing came of that. Then when Zack Snyder put forward the idea to Warner Brothers for this animated short, he automatically brought Gerard into the picture. Which I thought was great. At times as you are watching it you can hear 300 Gerard, and at others you can hear RockNRolla Gerard, but most of the time the voice in unrecognizable and that’s a good thing. The voice by the end becomes its own and really works.
Although the animated short is not shot for shot, word for word, it is pretty damn close. I really enjoyed it for what it was, but for some reason it really didn’t connect to me like the story in the Watchmen comic did. So I’m very curious to see how the extended directors cut will come out with this animated version laced through the original film.
Now I heard of the Under The Hood bonus feature and although it sounded interesting, I didn’t really get too excited about it. Well interesting enough, I actually enjoyed that more than the animated short. It was really great and kept my attention for the whole thirty something minutes. I actually felt like the Watchmen world was really alive and that this was a real documentary. It was too cool. I mean they interviewed all the actually actors from the film, which what more can you ask for. Plus characters that we got such a little glimpse of in the movie, got full parts in this documentary. It was great to hear from Bernard the news vendor, Edgar Jacob aka Moloch the Mystic, and Wally Weaver to name a few. Then even having Hollis Mason doing the whole Under The Hood thing, and Silhouette making such a big appearance really made this better than I could’ve ever imagined.
The first time I read through Watchmen I have to admit that all the extra book clips and what not at the end of each chapter really didn’t catch my interest. Don’t get me wrong, I read them, but after reading them the third or fourth time after reading the actual story three or four times, I really got into it. The opening chapter in Under The Hood is one of the best written pieces I think in the Watchmen book all together (I admit, most of the writing in that book was the best, but this was just one of many.) So to see these few chapters from Under The Hood brought to life was really great. I just enjoyed believing for thirty something minutes that all this stuff whether it be the book of the movie, could somehow be real.
For extras it includes Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen, which is a documentary of the making of both Tales of the Black Freighter and Under The Hood. It’s cool and definitely worth watching. Also in has the Watchmen Motion Comic Chapter One, which if you haven’t already seen it, worth checking out. Last is a First Look at Green Lantern which is very cool and worth a watch.
So as you can tell by this, and my Watchmen movie review, I love anything Watchmen. I’m not the type to nitpick and bring it down, I just really like to enjoy what we get served. If you’ve seen the movies, let me know what you think, or any questions or comments just post them. Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did.
Quantum of Solace
Quantum of Solace… has anyone figured out what that means yet? As the first true sequel of a James Bond film, it’s the follow up of what most claim to be the best bond film ever, Casino Royale. So how do you go from the best and make it better? Well in this case, you don’t. While Casino Royale was an action movie, it was still layered with character growth and relationships that shaped a character that we all know and love today. Casino Royale really gave us the feeling that we know where James Bond is from and why he is the way he is. Quantum of Solace just lacked all of this and was just a straight action film.
Not that there’s anything wrong with action, quite the contrary. I really do love great action sequences and explosions and shoot outs just as much as the next action junkie, but the fact that Casino Royale was so damn good, Quantum of Solace just felt lacking in the story department. Marc Foster who directed it did an amazing job with what he had. Shot for shot it was great. The opening sequence of the car chase with the Aston Martin was the most edge of your seat experience I’ve had in a long time. The opening chase with Bond and the double agent during the interrogation was great. And the boat sequence was something you have to see to believe. But then where did this all go wrong? Well like I said it lacked any emotional attachment to the characters. Especially when I heard that Marc Foster was doing this I thought great, this is the guy that brought us The Kite Runner and Monsters Ball, both great character building pieces where you are able to invest your feelings into the characters. Boy was I wrong.
He did try to develop the relationship with Bond and Camille, who like Bond, is seeking revenge, but it never pans through. Bond is so disconnected after losing Vesper in the first one that he has no feelings for anyone and has become a cold hard killer. What I thought was interesting is that the trailer made it look like there was going to be so much more to it, but again, just seemed to lack.
As for the DVD itself it looked great. I really felt that the colors were bright and the transfer from the big screen was spot on. And if you have a nice sound system, turn up the base, trust me, it’s worth it. For extras they pack in a few. It has its trailers, two to be exact and a music video called Die Another Day which is worth one watch at least. Then it has a feature that is called Bond on Location which are really cool videos of where all the locations were and watching the stunts being performed is really cool. Start of Shooting is a feature that is a short documentary styled video of the cast and crew talking about their parts in making the film. Then there’s On Location which is another short docu style of the camera set ups and the difficulty behind them. Last of the Bond on Location features is Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase which is a cool short on how they shot just that, the boat chase. Another short video is called Director Marc Foster Featurette which is another interesting short video with some cool info. The Music Featurette is a short video on the composer David Arnold who I thought did an amazing job of working on the music. Last is something called Crew Files which is the longest of the features and offers some great outtakes.
Now after beating up the movie so much I come to this. I really did enjoy it, I know I complained about the lack of character development, but that’s the screenwriter side of me lashing out for something that bothered me. The film junkie side who loves everything movies did really love this movie. I thought overall it was a great ride that keeps you going from beginning to end with fast paced action that is a ride that I really think everyone should get on board once. If you’re a Bond fan do yourself a favor and see it. If you just want a good action movie to sit down and watch then definitely consider this. Let me know what you think.
I’m pretty sure that if you are a regular reader here, you know what WonderCon is, or at least you have heard mention of it before. This is, of course, the premier destination site for fans of all things featured at the WonderCon event. But for anyone who does not know, I’ll give you the lowdown now, because you will find a lot of news breaking from the event right here at GKS, and you may just find yourself wondering what this wonderful event is all about. Well, WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987. The main attraction of WonderCon is that various retailers sell back issues of comic books and action figures. But the years have seen the exhibitorship grow to include retailers of specialty DVDs. There is also an Artists Alley featuring comic book artists selling artwork, signing books, and doing sketches; and mainstream celebrities signing autographed pictures.
The convention’s founders eventually made WonderCon part of the Comic-Con International family of conventions. That gave the San Francisco show a wider audience and made it a venue for previews and early screenings of major motion pictures, particularly ones based on comic books. Some of the major releases that gave presentations at WonderCon recently included Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins, Fantastic Four, Superman Returns, and 300. All of these events featured the stars of the films fielding questions from the audience. WonderCon also holds an event called the Trailer Park where they show trailers for upcoming films. Comic industry professional hold the Comic Arts Conference in conjunction with WonderCon.
Now that you know, we can now move on to the late breaking news from the premiere event for comic book followers each year. At the panel for the new direct to DVD animated Wonder Woman movie at WonderCon, the audience had a couple of specific questions regarding what characters might be seen in future DC animated movies. One fan asked about Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, a project announced quite a long time ago, only to never be produced. Another asked about the potential film future for Captain Marvel. What the audience was given was not exactly a clear answer, but it does give us a little insight into the thought process behind DC’s creative minds.
The Teen Titans project seems to be facing a grim future. DC Comics senior VP of creative affairs Gregory Noveck said that the reason it was never finished was because every time polling is done and potential DVD projects based on DC characters are listed, fans constantly rate a Teen Titans project last. Noveck then offered a suggestion to those in the crowd, saying that if they ever respond to such a poll, don’t bother listing Batman or Superman as the releases they most likely will buy, because “everyone knows Batman and Superman projects will sell well anyway,” and that there was “no doubt they’d continue making projects centered on those characters.” He said that the best way to get The Judas Contract made was for the fans to continue letting DC and Warner Bros know they want it. Do you hear that Teen Titans fans? If you ever want to see your precious pubescent heroes on your TV screen, make your voice heard!
As for the fate of Captain Marvel, here is what producer Bruce Timm had to say: ”Captain Marvel comes up quite often in our internal discussions. I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up some day.” They are cryptic words for sure, but I think that they bode well for fans of magic lightning bolts, the word “Shazam”, and big red cheese (and if you get that, you truly are a fan of Captain Marvel!) I wouldn’t expect to see the character in animation on DVD any time soon, but you can bet that there are plans currently in the works to bring the character to you sometime in the next 2-3 years. Of course, if anything more concrete comes out regarding Captain Marvel or The Teen Titans, you can bet I’ll keep you posted.
Jonah Hex. Now here’s a film that seemed to light a fire under fans of the long-running comic series. For the record, I have not read any of the series, my only familiarity with the disfigured outlaw is what I’ve seen on the comic book covers and the fervor overheard from those who hold Mr. Hex close to their hearts. With that in mind, I can’t compare the film to the source material, and a the end of the day nor should I. A film is its own and should stand, or fall, based on what it is.
I’m not really a born comic geek. I’m a TV girl, and my love of comics started with DC Animation, namely, Batman The Animated Series. I can remember being so enthralled in the art and the drama of this cartoon, and I fell in love with Batman solely based on this series. When I’m reading comics, it’s Kevin Conroy who voices Bruce Wayne in my head.
I love discovering gems. Accidentally finding something that makes me remember what it is to be in love with cinema. “Let The Right One In” falls so deeply and strangely in that category. This film moved me profoundly on so many levels of ‘cinephile’ that I’m still engrossed by the film this next morning as I write it’s review.
After a reasonable hiatus from acting, Mel Gibson returns to the screen in Edge of Darkness. I missed this little crime-mystery flick back when it was in theatres, so I was quite chuffed when the fine folks at Warner Bros. sent a copy my way to let you all know what the good bird on the movie is.
The wait is almost over for Zach Snyder’s incredible film adaptation of Watchmen to hit DVD and Blu-Ray. The film will be released to retailers this July 21st and this one is a must-own for fans, Blu-Ray-philes and Watchmen fiends alike. As with most comic-book-super-fan-summer films, this movie will no doubt see an endless amount of releases and re-releases each with the most superficial of differences. But to us mega-fans, does it really even matter.
– a theatrical version is available on DVD only – with a third, coaster-worthy digital copy disc. This Director’s Cut has a run-time of over 3 hours; that’s approximately 30 mins of more footage than was shown in the theatrical version. Full details on what these scenes will include are still pretty unknown with the exception being the well-known-filmed on-screen death of the original Nite Owl, Hollis Mason.
which features the three Director’s Cut discs hidden inside a pretty cool looking statuette of Nite Owl’s ship, Archie. Apparently this beaut has lights and sounds. Again, it’s only exclusive to those shopping online at Amazon.com, and has a fairly hefty price tag of $79.99.
also starring Danny McBride, you are missing out.
Holy blast from the past, we finally have the 90’s Fox X-Men animated series on DVD!
At this moment I’m sure of any special features, if there are any. Each volume retails for around $18 – or you can pick up both volumes together over at 
2003
As for the “twist ending”… well… if M. Night Shyamalan had any sense in his brain he’d watch this flick and realize he can’t write a script to save his life and finally quit. Oldboy sets the bar for the genre and shows just how shockingly often these films really do fail.
1978
The film doesn’t waste its opportunity to fully flesh out its story and take the audience through every cycle of emotion. It’s scary. It’s funny. It’s worrisome. And the score, provided by Goblin – the incomparable Italian prog-rock band – is something for the ear to behold.
The first time I read through Watchmen I have to admit that all the extra book clips and what not at the end of each chapter really didn’t catch my interest. Don’t get me wrong, I read them, but after reading them the third or fourth time after reading the actual story three or four times, I really got into it. The opening chapter in Under The Hood is one of the best written pieces I think in the Watchmen book all together (I admit, most of the writing in that book was the best, but this was just one of many.) So to see these few chapters from Under The Hood brought to life was really great. I just enjoyed believing for thirty something minutes that all this stuff whether it be the book of the movie, could somehow be real.
As for the DVD itself it looked great. I really felt that the colors were bright and the transfer from the big screen was spot on. And if you have a nice sound system, turn up the base, trust me, it’s worth it. For extras they pack in a few. It has its trailers, two to be exact and a music video called Die Another Day which is worth one watch at least. Then it has a feature that is called Bond on Location which are really cool videos of where all the locations were and watching the stunts being performed is really cool. Start of Shooting is a feature that is a short documentary styled video of the cast and crew talking about their parts in making the film. Then there’s On Location which is another short docu style of the camera set ups and the difficulty behind them. Last of the Bond on Location features is Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase which is a cool short on how they shot just that, the boat chase. Another short video is called Director Marc Foster Featurette which is another interesting short video with some cool info. The Music Featurette is a short video on the composer David Arnold who I thought did an amazing job of working on the music. Last is something called Crew Files which is the longest of the features and offers some great outtakes.
I’m pretty sure that if you are a regular reader here, you know what WonderCon is, or at least you have heard mention of it before. This is, of course, the premier destination site for fans of all things featured at the WonderCon event. But for anyone who does not know, I’ll give you the lowdown now, because you will find a lot of news breaking from the event right here at GKS, and you may just find yourself wondering what this wonderful event is all about. Well, WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987. The main attraction of WonderCon is that various retailers sell back issues of comic books and action figures. But the years have seen the exhibitorship grow to include retailers of specialty DVDs. There is also an Artists Alley featuring comic book artists selling artwork, signing books, and doing sketches; and mainstream celebrities signing autographed pictures.